Piercing and venting means for cans



Dec. 19, 1967 w. D. LOE

PIERCING AND VENTING MEANS FOR CANS Filed March 2l, 1966 R V ma M f. M M,a

United States Patent O wauw,

ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus in which a closed can may be placedfor piercing of its bottom by a pointed post. Such post has twopassageways, one of which leads to a fluid passage- Way through whichthe fluid is dispensed and the other passageway leads to the atmosphere,for venting, through a check valve and air filter means.

The present invention relates to means and techniques useful indispensing and/or circulating fluids and has particular usefulness inapparatus of the character described in my copending application Ser.No. 502,099 llled Oct. 22, 1965 and assigned to the same assignee, thisapplication being a continuation-impart of said application Ser. No.502,099.

Briefly, the apparatus described in the above-mentioned copendingapplication Ser. No. 502,099 incorporates a suitable receptacle for asealed can which is punctured in the process of mounting the can in thereceptacle. Sealing means are provided whereby the contents of thepun-ctured can remain uncontaminated. Manually operated pump means iseflective to pump or dispense the fluid from the punctured can toequipment in which pressures above atmospheric pressure exist. Means arealso provided whereby the pumping means may be used to produce acirculation of fluid through the equipment without the circulated fluidcontaminating the contents of the punctured can. Y

Whereas in the arrangement shown in said application Ser. No. 502,099both ends of the can are punctured, the upper end being punctured forventing purposes and the lower end being punctured to provide an openingthrough which fluid from the can may flow, the present arrangement is inthe nature of an improvement in that only the lower can end is puncturedby a single puncturing means which incorporates two channels, one forventing purposes and the other serving as a channel through which fluidfrom the punctured can may flow.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provideimproved apparatus of the character described in my copendingapplication Ser. No. 502,099.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide apparatus ofthis character which is particularly useful in arrangements wherein itis desired to dispense fluids from closed receptacles.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide anarrangement of this character in which puncturing means, venting meansand fluid flow channel means are all located at the lower end of the canfrom which fluids are dispensed.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide anarrangement of this character which eliminates the necessity forpuncturing both ends of a can.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide anarrangement of this character which requires puncturing of a can only atone location.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide anarrangement of this character that incorporates a means for venting acontainer with clean filtered air without piercing the top of thecontainer.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide anapparatus of this character incorporating JCC improved venting meanswith the venting means being accomplished by the use of a spring-loadedcheck valve operating upon the .attainment of a pressure differentialand such that when contents of the container are drawn therefrom, as forexample by a pump, causing a onepound differential between the inside ofthe container and atmospheric pressure, a check valve is off seated,thereby permitting venting of the container and also such check valve-reseats when the pressure equalizes.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. This inventionitself, .both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood byIreference to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view partly in section, corresponding generally to FIGURE5 of my above-mentioned copending application Ser. No. 502,099, butincorporating the present improvement.

FIGURE 2 illustrates, in enlarged form and in section, some of thestructu-re illustrated in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 3 is a view taken as indicated by the lines 3--3 in FIGURE 1.

For ease of comparison, corresponding parts in this improved arrangementand the arrangement shown in said application Ser. No. 502,099, haveidentical reference numerals. Also, since in the present arrangementsome of the parts are illustrated as being integral herein, thereference numeral 10 is not used herein but instead the number 11 isused with, however, the same characteristic appended letter. Forexample, 10D of said application Ser. No. 502,099 is now designated bythe reference numeral 11D.

Referring to the drawings herein, the apparatus includes a can holder 11within which la can 15 is mounted with the lower end of the can beingpunctured 4by pointed post 14 extending therein and with the lower endof the can 15 being pressed against a sealing pad 12 by a springurgedflanged element 91 attached to a rod 89, such rod 89 having a flangedportion 89A thereon acting ias a seat for one end of a coil compressionspring 90, the other end of the spring 90 bearing against a framestructure 76 within which the rod 89 is slidably mounted. This framestructure 76 in the condition shown in FIGURE 1 is maintained in astationary condition but, as illustrated in my copending :applicationSer. No. 502,099, the same may be unlocked from its stationary conditionfor removal and replacement of the empty can 15. With a new can insertedin place as illustrated in FIGURE l, the frame member 76 is moveddownwardly to cause the spring-urged flange member 91 to engage the can15 and to press the same over the pointed post 14 and against elasticsealing pad 12 and after this is done the frame member 76 is locked in astationary condition.

The pointed post 14 is provided with a threaded shank portion 14Athreaded in the base support portion 11A. Also the post 14 is providedwith a ilanged portion 14B and a radially extending opening 14C which,as shown in FIGURE 2, is in communication with a bore 14L, the lower endof the bore 14L being in communication with the channel or -bore 11C inthe base support portion 11A. Thus liquid from the can 15 may flowthrough such opening 14C and bore 14L and into channel 11C. An O-ring14F is recessed within the base portion 11A above t-he channel 11C toprevent leakage. A second O-ring 14G also recessed in the base portion11A, is between the upper fluid channel 11C and a lower :air channel 200formed in the Abase portion 11A.

In this instance the vertically extending base portion 11D is formedintegrally with the base portion 11A and is formed with a bore 11E thatintersects the bore 11C. The upper end of bore 11E is closed by a plug11L. A bore 11H intersects bore 11E and leads to a check valve 17 infilter housing 16. This check valve 17 involves a ball 17A normallyseated by coil compression spring 17B against the ball seat 24, suchseat 24 being threaded in a large bore 21 in housing 16. This housing 16is secured to the can base support 11 with an O-ring seal 24 squeezedtherebetween to prevent leakage at that location. The downstream side ofcheck valve 17 communicates with a passage 22 and passage 2.5 and thesame are in communication with the suction side of a pump such thatduring operation of the pump, the check valve 17 is automatically openedagainst the action of its spring 17B to thereby cause uid to tlow fromthe can and through -a path which includes opening 14C, channels 14L,11C, 11E, 11H, check valve 17 and passageways 22 and 25 with the fluidbeing caused also to flow through a filter element releasably secured toits housing 16 as more fully described in my previously mentionedcopending application Ser. No. 502,099.

For these purposes the interior of the can is vented using aconstruction now described in detail and embodying important features ofthe present invention. The previously mentioned air channel 200 in baseportion 11C is in communication with the post opening 14L through theinterconnecting channels 14M and 14N, the opening 14L and channels 14Mand 14N being in the post 14. This channel 200 communicates with a checkvalve 201 which incorporates a ball 2,02 normally urged into engagementwith its seat 203 by a coil compression spring 204. This seat 203 isthreaded in the base portion 11A and communicates with a large chamber204 in base portion 11A. Such chamber 204 accommodates a replaceable airfilter 206 which is normally retained by an apertured plug element 207threaded in the base portion 11A. In general, the check valve 201accomplishes the same purposes as the check valve 92 in the previouslymentioned application Ser. No. 502,099 but in this case the top end ofthe can need not be pierced.

Venting is accomplished by use of this spring-loaded check valve 201operating on a pressure diiferential. When fluid is withdrawn from thecan 1S, a one-pound differential in pressure between the inside of thecan and atmospheric pressure causes the atmospheric pressure to move theball 202 from its seat 203 against the action of spring 204 to therebyallow air to enter the can. When the pressure is equalized, the valve201 recloses.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described wherein an unsealed can isplaced in a holder and pressed against puncturing means to puncture oneend of said can, the improvement which resides in providing saidpuncturing means with two separate channels, one of which is in communication with a fluid ow passageway and the other one of which is inan air vent passageway, each of said passageways being formed in saidholder, said puncturing means comprising a pointed post threaded in saidholder and having two diametrically and oppositely extending openingsnear the pointed end of said post.

2. Apparatus `as set forth in claim 1 in which check valve means is insaid fluid flow passageway to allow only fluid flow from said can, andalso check valve means in said air vent passageway preventing fluid flowtherefrom but allowing air to enter the can.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said check valve means insaid air vent passageway opens when atmospheric pressure exceedspressure in said can.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including air filter meansremovably mounted in said air vent passageway.

5. Apparatus `as set forth in claim 1 in which said air vent passagewayterminates at a threaded opening.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which an apertured plug isthreaded in said threaded opening and releasably maintains air filtermeans in said air vent passageway.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which a threaded valve seat isthreaded within said air vent passageway, said valve seat being engagedby a ball, -a spring acting between said hall and said holder tonormally press said ball against said seat, said seat being accessibleafter removal of said apertured threaded plug and after removal of saidair filter means.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said passageways in saidholder extend radially from said post and an O-ring encircles said postto provide a seal between said passageways.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,004,359 9/1911 Brown 222-862,258,636 10/ 1941 Young et al. 222-84 2,504,683 4/ 1950 Hiarnley222-189 2,744,656 5/1956 Hope 222-82 3,110,422 11/1963 Beck 222-835WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner.

1. IN APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED WHEREIN AN UNSEALED CAN ISPLACED IN A HOLDER AND PRESSED AGAINST PUNCTURING MEANS TO PUNCTURE ONEEND OF SAID CAM, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH RESIDES IN PROVIDING SAIDPUNCTURING MEANS WITH TWO SEPARATE CHANNELS, ONE OF WHICH IS INCOMMUNICATION WITH A FLUID FLOW PASSAGEWAY AND THE OTHER ONE OF WHICH ISIN AN AIR VENT PASSAGEWAY, EACH OF SAID PASSAGEWAY BEING FORMED IN SAIDHOLDER, SAID PUNCTURING MEANS COMPRISING A POINTER POST THREADED IN SAIDHOLDER AND HAVING TWO DIAMETRICALLY AND OPPOSITELY EXTENDING OPENINGSNEAR THE POINTER END OF SAID POST.